Emberwood but you're still the same

She saw him step through the trees and her mind spun. He looked… exactly the same. And the way he said her name… She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, half expecting that when she opened them, he’d be gone. But he wasn’t. When she opened her eyes again, he was still standing there, staring at her as if she were a ghost. Memories flooded her mind, though she felt too numb to be overwhelmed by them. The feeling most strongly coming through was shock.

“I…” she began. Her voice cracked, so she cleared her throat awkwardly. “I wasn’t… looking for you. I… thought there was a pack smell here and I… I need somewhere to stay in the winter.” What was she to do now? Ask to stay here? With him? After… after all that had happened between them and after she had left the Plateau? What if… “Is—is Liri…?” She could not even bring herself to finish the question. Was Liri here? What would she do if he said yes? Obviously she’d turn away and go somewhere else… but would she, really? Was it some kind of sign that the first wolf she had met on her return was Kavik? Not that she believed such nonsense, but… it couldn’t be ignored. 

And now that she had found him, she wasn’t sure she could let him go again, even if he couldn’t be hers. Her children were gone or dead. Illidan had still been with Rusalka when she’d left but… he had never been close to her, no matter how close she had tried to get to him. Her “mate,” such as he had been, was gone or dead. Rusalka… was far away from here. And she’d hated it there. She’d hated the ocean. No. She would not return to see what had become of them. She would stay here.

If he let her.